Israel's attorney general Menachem Mazuz on Tuesday decided to indict President Moshe Katsav on charges of raping four women, the Israeli media reported.

The indictment will include charges of rape, indecent acts, obstruction of justice and threatening a witness, the reports said Tuesday. They are the most serious charges ever levelled against an Israeli leader, AFP reported.

A final decision on the indictment will be made only after a hearing at which Katsav wil be able to present his arguments.

Late last year, police said they had uncovered enough evidence to charge Katsav with sexual harassment and wire-tapping, following months of investigations.

Katsav has denied the charges against him. "I am the victim of a despicable libel campaign," he said in a statement following Mazuz's decision.